Sperm Retrieval

Finding Sperm Even with Vasectomy or Blockage…

My wife and I have been wanting children for a long time, but because I have Cystic Fibrosis, I was born with damage to the vas deferens and my swimmers have no way of getting out. This meant that we would have to do IVF with the TESA procedure where the sperm is aspirated from my testicles with a needle. The thought of that procedure made me a little nervous considering how sensitive that area is.

I had the option to be fully sedated for the procedure, but since I have Cystic Fibrosis, we did not want to risk any complications with full sedation. Dr. Delaney informed me that I would get some local anesthetic and a nerve block, so I shouldn’t feel anything during the TESA procedure but I would be fully conscious of what was going on.

We went to the clinic on the day of the TESA procedure and I was a little apprehensive. First, they gave me the numbing cream to apply and we had to wait a short while for it to take effect. Then it was time to go in the operating room. Dr. Ripps administered the nerve block shot and I barely felt a thing because the numbing cream was working very well. We had to wait a few minutes for the nerve block to take effect and then Dr. Ripps was able to start the TESA procedure.

I was awake and conscious through the whole procedure and I didn’t feel anything. The joy and happiness I felt, when they confirmed that sperm was present in the first aspiration, was indescribable and it would have been a missed experience if I was sedated. Afterwards, I was able to drive home and I never had any soreness or pain.

– AN

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Meet Doctor Ripps

Barry A. Ripps, M.D., FACOG, ACGE, brings over twenty-five years of clinical experience in human reproduction to the Gulf Coast. Dr. Ripps graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University and completed medical school at the University of Alabama in
Birmingham (UAB). For Residency and Fellowship training...

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